Relay racks are widely used in the telecommunications industry. Typically, a relay rack includes a frame for holding telecommunications operative parts, which parts are interconnected through wires. Each frame has a base which holds the frame upright. Typically, early bases were made of angle iron, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,521,129, entitled, "Frame Structure For Wire Termination Blocks", issued Jul. 21, 1970, to Joseph H. MacKenzie, Jr. As weight of the racks become more of a concern, bases were designed to be of lighter weight. A lightweight base is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,665,546, entitled, "Modular Distribution Frame Assembly", issued May 12, 1987, to William A. Brey, et al. Another lightweight base is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,502, entitled, "Telephone Equipment Rack", issued Dec. 29, 1987, to Garland R. Salmon. Another frame construction and base of interest is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,819, entitled, "Quick Connect Frame", issued Oct. 6, 1992, to Gregory F. Hebel.
It is desirable that a relay rack have a sturdy construction, and it may be installed quickly and easily. A relay rack should be lightweight. A lightweight relay rack reduces the amount of floor loading in a given installation. The lightweight relay rack is also desirable from the standpoint of manufacture in that the lightweight rack is less costly so that the manufacturer may provide the rack to the user at a lower price. Furthermore, the lightweight rack costs less to ship.
Another desirable aspect of a relay rack is to provide a construction wherein the rack may be accommodated to a substantially horizontal floor. The relay rack must be stable. Since the relay rack is shipped in a knocked down condition, the construction of the relay rack must be such that relatively unskilled personnel be capable of assembling and installing the relay rack with an expenditure of a minimum amount of time and effort.